The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

Do you do annual reviews to reflect on what you’ve accomplished and what’s next? 🤔 We do! In this episode, we review the year of 2024 here at CEA…and what we have in the pipeline for you! 😉 Using the SWOT analysis, we dive into all our positive and negative points in 2024, as well as all the opportunities and threats we see moving forward — both to CEA and the civil engineering industry as a whole! 😨 From adding new team members to updating our PE review courses…all the way to brand new course offerings for the Environmental folks and those in California. ✅ So, if you want to know more of what we achieved here in 2024, how to join the CEA Dream Team (as we call it 😂), and the details of how we plan to keep helping you thrive in your career, this is for you. 👍 Go check it out! 🎧 🚨 OUR 2025 NEW YEAR SALE ENDS THIS SUNDAY! 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 2, 2025, at 11:59 PM MST. Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: 10 Years of CEA in 2025! The Power of Doing the Annual Reviews The SWOT Analysis Method for Your Annual Reviews Our Strengths and Achievements in 2024 Our Weaknesses and Shortcomings in 2024 Opportunities for Us to Exploit Moving Forward The Threats We See for Us and the Industry as We Head into 2025 Our Goals for 2025 & Beyond to Keep Helping You ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: CEA Students’ Success Stories Playlist Interview with Alberto Ortigão Interview with Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick Interview with the Past NCEES Chief of Exams Interview with Robert Otani on AI Interview with Dr. Sam Zolfagharian from YegaTech on AI Episode on the Declining Enrollment in Engineering 🎁 OUR FREEBIES: The Civil FE Startup Guide The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 OUR EXAM PREP RESOURCES: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Picture this: you’re 50 years into your career, have done all types of work all over the world, have your Master’s, a PhD, and the CEng. Time to hang up your boots, right? 🤔 Wrong!! ❌ For this fascinating interview, Alberto Ortigão jumps on the show to talk about his journey to pass the #PE Exam in the US…after everything he’s already achieved and done in his 50-year-plus geotechnical career! ✅ (You read it right. He got his PE after 50 freakin’ years! 😱) Alberto is living proof that no matter what stage you’re at in your career, you can (and should!) become a PE. Also, if you’re heading down the Geotech route for your career, he shares really good insights for young Geotechnical Engineers looking to thrive. If you’re planning to pass the geotechnical PE Exam and/or make a career in Geotechnical Engineering, then go check out the voice of experience in this interview. You’ll thank us later! 🎧 🚨 OUR 2025 NEW YEAR SALE ENDS SOON! 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 2, 2025, at 11:59 PM MST. Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: Why He Wanted the PE License After 50 Years of Experience The 2 Hardest Aspects of Prepping for the Geotech PE as an International Engineer What's Wrong With Civil Engineering Exams: Theory vs. Practice A Big Piece of the Geotech Work That's NOT in the Civil PE Exam (But Should!) How Civil Engineering Academy Helped Him Prepare for the PE His Tips for You if You're Going After the PE Later in Your Career The Single Topic That Caught Him off Guard on the Geotech Exam Does the Civil PE Exam Really Help You in Practice? Was the Change Towards a More Specialized Exam a Good Thing? What Those Taking the Geotech PE Exam Need to Beat the Low Pass Rates What Every Young Engineer Going into Geotech Should Do...at a Minimum His Top 3 Tips for Anyone Prepping for the PE Exam Two Books He Wrote for Geotechnical Engineers What He Enjoyed the Most About the CEA PE Review Course ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: Building Research Establishment (BRE) University of British Columbia (UBC) City University of Hong Kong Handbook of Slope Stabilization, by Alberto Ortigão Soil Mechanics in the Light of Critical State Theories, by Alberto Ortigão Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) 📧 CONNECT WITH ALBERTO: LinkedIn 🎁 CEA FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 CEA EXAM PREP RESOURCES: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Would you choose a career based on its similarities with…wait for it…chess?! 😯 That’s why Lokesh Palani chose Construction Management, but you don’t have to be a pro chess player to win this game. 😉 In this interview, Lokesh spills the beans on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Construction Management route for your career, including the growing role of data analytics and how it’s going to impact the field in a few years. Also, as a graduate of civil engineering, Lokesh’s journey shows how civil engineering opens doors to career paths most people don’t even consider — and some of them may not emphasize the PE license as much (even though it’s still a nice add-on for credibility 😉). If you’re exploring construction management or looking to branch out of your current field, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you learn the ropes…from someone in the trenches every day. ✅ Check it out! 🎧 🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 2, 2025, at 11:59 PM MST 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: How Chess Got Him into Construction Management Does the Construction Management Route Require the PE License? The 2 Certifications Construction Managers Need to Stand Out The Growing Role of Data Analytics in Construction Management How AI Will Help Streamline Construction Management The Biggest Demand in Construction...and How AI Will Help Fulfill That Uses of Data Analytics Before, During, and After Project Completion The 2 Skills Construction Managers Need — and It's not Technical Knowledge Commissioning in Construction Management What's a Good vs. Bad Day in the Life of a Construction Manager? The Hard But Rewarding Reality of the Construction Field The Salary and Type of Work You Can Expect as a Construction Manager His Tips for Young Professionals Starting in Construction Management ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Certified Construction Manager (CCM) Yates Construction Hathaway Dinwiddie Virginia Tech 📧 CONNECT WITH LOKESH: LinkedIn lokeshpalani24@gmail.com 🎁 FREEBIES FOR YOU: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 CEA EXAM PREP RESOURCES: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Have you been eyeing the Project Management route for your career and want to know what it looks like? 🤔 Well, this interview with Aaron Shavel spills the beans on everything you need to know…from the inside. 🔐 Aaron is a civil engineering graduate who went down that path and now works as Project Manager at TC Electric, managing some really massive and complex projects up there in New York. 😨 In this episode, he details his journey into Project Management and everything he learned along the way to help you get a headstart if you’re considering going that route as well. 😉 What skills do you need to develop? What are the challenges you’ll face? Do you Need certification — and which ones? How is technology impacting the project management work? Aaron dives into all these questions you’ve already asked yourself…and a lot more! So, if working in project management is the thing you think you want for you, whether straight out of school or pivoting into it later in your career, this episode will help you find that out! 👍 🎧 🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE! 🚨 Discount: 20% OFF any review course Code at checkout: NEWYEARSALE Deadline: February 2, 2025, at 11:59 PM MST. 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: Why Project Management...and the 3 Routes You Can Take The 2 Traits You Need If You Want to Be a Project Manager The 2 Biggest Communication Challenges Project Managers Face What's the Designated Design-Build Professional Certification? The Process to Getting the DBIA Certification...and Why You Should! What About the PMP? Should You Get it? The New Technologies Being Used in Project Management...and What's Coming Why We’re in the "Civil Engineering Golden Age!" The Biggest Problem With Projects Today...and How to Solve It His Two Best Pieces of Advice to Young Engineers Interested in Project Management The Importance of Scope of Work for Project Managers ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: Aaron's Interview with the ASCE Designated Design-Build Professional Certification Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 📧 CONNECT WITH AARON: LinkedIn 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 EXAM PREP RESOURCES (Code NEWYEARSALE for 20% OFF): Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Overwhelmed by the number of codes required for the Geotech PE Exam? Scared by its low pass rates…year after year? 🤔 Then this interview with Seth Anderson is what you need. Seth is a civil engineer with an unconventional career path into the world of Transmission Engineering, and he’s just passed the Geotech PE Exam…on his first try. ✅ 👷 In this episode, he shares everything he did, every study and test-taking strategy he implemented, and every resource he used to pull this off so you can do the same. If you’re taking the Geotech PE Exam, no matter if it’s your first or fifth try, you’ll want to listen to this episode.  😉 🎧 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: How He Got into the Utility World as a Civil Engineer A Rule for the FE Exam That You Should Live By His PE Exam Journey...and How CEA Helped! A Strategy for Your PE Exam Prep to Save You on Exam Day A Test-Taking Tip for Exam Day You'll Want to Use A Subtle Thing That Caught Him Off Guard on the Geotech PE Exam What's the Most Challenging Part of Prepping for the PE Exam? How He Organized the Codes into a System to Help Him Remember Them His Experience with CEA’s PE CBT Exam Simulator What Score Should You Shoot for When Taking Practice Exams? How He Balanced Work, Studying, and Fun Time (Yep, It’s possible!) What He Enjoyed the Most About CEA The Right Way to Look at the Low Pass Rates for the Geotech Exam A New Topic in the New Geotech PE Exam Specs That Threw Him Off A Tip to Handle All the Codes Required by the Geotech PE Exam Is the CEA Student Support Good? The Real Benefit of Taking the PE Most Civil Engineers Don't Realize Why Does He Recommend Civil Engineering Academy? ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: FHWA NHI-16-009 FHWA NHI-16-010 FHWA NHI-16-072 Day in the Life of a Transmission Engineer Episode (YouTube) Day in the Life of a Transmission Engineer Episode (Spotify) TRC Companies Clarkson University 📧 CONNECT WITH SETH: LinkedIn sanderson@trccompanies.com 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Having second thoughts about going for a career in Geotech? 🤔 Well, you shouldn’t! Our latest guest is Kirsten Grant, a civil engineer who’s making waves in the field few civil engineers dare to dive in — especially women. As Senior Geostructural Engineer at Schnabel Engineering, wife, and mother, Kirsten’s journey is proof the Geotechnical Engineering route can lead to a rewarding career…without sacrificing your personal goals. In this inspiring episode, she shares how she decided for Geotech herself, what the work in the field looks like, as well as heard-earned pieces of advice for those still in school and early on in their careers to set themselves up for success.. This is a must-listen for all aspiring and young women geotechnical engineers out there to learn everything about the field, how to kill it once they get into it…and how to balance life’s big dreams with a meaningful career. 🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN: The Big Reason She Went Into Geotech...While Most Don't One Way to Find What Field to Specialize in Why You'd Want to Consider a Career in Geotech  Is Civil Engineering a Good Field for Women? Her Tips for Women to Thrive in Engineering How She Balances Family Obligations With Her Career A Perk She Has That All Companies Should Offer to Their Employees How Your Tasks at Work Change When You Move to Senior Engineer Why Civil Engineering Gets You a Job Anywhere...Even Outside of It How Much You Can Expect to Earn as a Civil Engineer at Different Stages How the PE License Helped Her Professionally How Those Still in School Can Set Themselves up for Career Success Hard-Earned Pieces of Advice Early-Career Engineers Must Listen to ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: Schnabel Engineering Wentworth Institute of Technology Virginia Tech 📧 CONNECT WITH KIRSTEN: LinkedIn 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Let me guess: you listened to our previous episode with Brian Armstrong and got interested in what the numbers look like in that real estate syndication opportunity for engineers. Correct? 🤔 Then this episode is exactly what you needed! 😉 💸 Today, we bring back Brian Armstrong to dive deeper in the nuts and bolts of building a passive income machine with real estate syndications…using the higher salary you get after passing the PE Exam, just like he did. 🏠 From what real estate syndications are and how they work to the most important metrics you need to track, Brian covers everything you need to get started in this world with the confidence of a 20-year real estate professional. 💪 If you want to make the money you work hard to get work even harder for you…and beat the paltry 7-10% stock market return…then you’ll want to listen to this one. 🎧 TUNE IN TO LEARN: Why real estate instead of the stock market? Apartment buildings vs. other real estate How apartments are valued What's Net Operating Income (NOI)? What's Cash on Cash Return (CoC)? What's Equity Multiple? What's Average Annual Return (AAR)? What's Internal Rate of Return (IRR)? What's Preferred Return? Break Even Occupancy How real estate syndication works How to move funds from retirement accounts into syndications What to do if you're interested in syndications How Brian can help you get started The 2 syndication red flags you should stay on the lookout for ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: CEA #252 With Brian (Spotify) CEA #252 With Brian (Apple Podcasts) CEA #252 With Brian (YouTube) Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Qualified Retirement Plan (QRP) 📧 CONNECT WITH BRIAN: LinkedIn brian@progresscapitalgroup.com Progress Capital Group 7 Reasons Savvy Investor Choose Real Estate 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Going for the FE a few years after school is already tough. But 11 years, with three failed attempts in the track record, and facing language challenges for coming from a non-English speaking country?! 😨 That’s exactly what Angela Concha did! 😮 Angela is a civil engineer in Ohio who came to the U.S. from Venezuela and passed the FE Exam as a student of The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course. In this episode, she dives into her FE prep struggles. From why self-study and other renowned (and expensive!) prep courses out there didn’t work for her…and how she turned things around. Her journey is a big lesson on the single most important trait you should have if you find yourself in the same shoes of having to retake the exam: Grit! So, if you’re in the same shoes, and especially if you’re a latino or latina engineer on your way to becoming a licensed PE in the US, this episode will inspire you to push through! 💪 Go check it out! 🎧 TUNE IN TO LEARN: Her journeys from Venezuela to the US Her first two unsuccessful attempts at the Civil PE Exam with self-study Did PPI’s expensive course really prepare her for her 3rd try? How she found Civil Engineering Academy and finally passed the PE The biggest challenge of her entire exam prep The most difficult part of the FE Exam What The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course has that helped her the most on exam day Her little trick for the day before the exam to remember everything you studied Her favorite feature of the course…and why it made all the difference Her advice on taking practice exams leading up to the real deal What you should do immediately after you take the exam Is the Civil FE Exam becoming more theoretical? The most difficult question type on the exam The single most important trait you need to have as a repeat taker ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: CEA FE CBT Exam Simulator CEA Ep 192 With Makenzie Allen (YouTube) CEA Ep 192 With Makenzie Allen (Spotify) CEA Ep 192 With Makenzie Allen (Apple Podcasts) Good Notes App 📧 CONNECT WITH ANGELA: LinkedIn Instagram angie187c@gmail.com 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Many non-civil engineers have passed the Civil PE Exam, and our latest guest, Jessica Wellcome, is another awesome example…whose journey is nothing short of inspiring! 👏 👷 Jessica finished school with a degree in Architectural Engineering Technology but found herself working in Transportation at NYS DOT, which is when she quickly realized that… She needed the PE license to get promoted! The problem? 🤔 Her path wasn’t easy — she took the exam 6 times (3 paper-based, 3 computer-based), with the COVID pandemic putting a damper on her plans. 😞 In this episode, she dives into this journey and the lessons she learned along the way (and the hard way!) after multiple exam retakes. If you’re an Architectural Engineering grad taking the Civil PE, or a civil engineer having to retake this exam, this will give you actionable advice to take to heart…and a blueprint for resilience. After all, as her no-quit mantra during her prep goes, “Don’t give up. It might not be your time now but your time will come.” TUNE IN TO LEARN: What Her Transportation Work Looks Like at NYS DOT How Important is the Civil FE to Your Career? The True Benefit of Taking the PE...And Why Decoupling Hurts It Why She Could Only Sit for the PE Exam After 6 Years of Experience Her Tip to Help you Prove Your Work Experience to the NCEES Why She Went With Civil Engineering Academy A Key Lesson She Learned the Hard Way When Prepping for the PE Exam Her Number One Tip When Solving Practice Problems for the PE How to Deal With the (Many) Codes in the Transportation Exam...Without Overwhelm How Much Prep Do You Really Need for Your Exams? The Biggest Tip for Repeater Takers...from a Repeat Taker Herself What to Do When You Don't Know How to Answer a Question The Transportation Topic That Appeared the Most on the Exam The Topic She Struggled the Most With During the Exam A Question That Caught Her off Guard on the Exam Should You Really Take a Review Course? (Plus the Benefits of It) What She Enjoyed About Civil Engineering Academy 🤝 OUR PARTNER: Audible ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: MUTCD New York State Department of Transportation PE Handbook PE Review Courses FREE FE and PE Study Groups PE CBT Exam Simulator CEA YouTube Channel 📧 CONNECT WITH JESSICA: LinkedIn Free CEA Study Group 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com

Is it possible to work as a civil engineer in…wait for it…the US Navy?! ⚓ Well, the answer is yes. (I know… what? 😮) Today’s guest is Jason Schechter, an engineer who has spent 20 years serving in the Navy, doing all types of projects any other engineer does in the civilian world…and now works in the Pentagon. 🫡 How did he do it? 🤔 In this episode, he talks about the Navy’s program for recruiting engineers that he joined while still in college (and you probably didn’t even know existed until to today!), as well as the career progression and the (lots of ) pros and (very few) cons of working in the military. 🎖️ Oh, I almost forgot. 😅 Your experience in the military also sets you up for success after you reach the retirement age of the military. So, if one of your goals in life was to join the military, or you’re simply curious about what it’s like to take that route now, then you'll definitely want to listen to this episode. 😉 TUNE IN TO LEARN: How He Got in the Navy as an Engineer The Navy's Civil Engineering Collegiate Program for Recruiting Engineers What It's Like to Be Part of the Navy's Program The 3 Types of Work You Do in the Navy as a Civil Engineer Is the Navy's Work All Civil Engineering Work? The Worst Part of Being in the Navy and How He Handles It Why He Stayed in the Navy for 20 Years...When the Plan Was Only 4 Years The Big Benefit of Staying in the Navy Until the Retirement Age What the Career Progression of a Civil Engineer in the Navy Looks Like 2 Skills Civil Engineers Need to Excel at the Navy The Hardest Part of His Job Today at the Pentagon What Positions You Can Get Outside the Navy Afterwards His 2 Biggest Frustrations Today Working in the Pentagon How Politics Affects Your Work in the Navy How to Get Your PE When Working in the Navy All Over the World His Advice If You're Interested in Joining the Navy as an Engineer ✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED: CEA Podcast #260 (Kim Truong) Navy's Engineering Collegiate Program Navy's Civil Engineers Corps (CEC) Program Navy's CEC Presentation Navy's Construction Battalions (Seabees) The Fighting Seabees (1944) University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 📧 CONNECT WITH JASON: LinkedIn 🎁 FREEBIES: The 5 Best FE Resources The Civil PE Startup Guide FREE CFM® Course Module 📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE: Civil Engineering Academy Website Civil FE Review Course Civil PE Review Courses CFM® Review Course FE Practice Exams FE CBT Exam Simulator PE Practice Exams PE CBT Exam Simulator CFM® Practice Exam FE Environmental Practice Exam PE Environmental Practice Exam 📱 CONNECT WITH US! Newsletter Free CEA Community LinkedIn YouTube Channel support@civilengineeringacademy.com